“Frat Boy” Culture at Activision Leads to Lawsuit Filed by California DFEH
On July 20, 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) filed a lawsuit against software company Activision Blizzard Inc. The lawsuit alleges that Activision Blizzard promoted a “pervasive frat boy” culture that discriminated against female employees. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a two-year investigation concerning Activision’s treatment of its female workforce. The […]
Organizational Culture: Identifying and Addressing Toxic Managers
It may only be August, but with Halloween decorations already showing up in stores it will not be long before we are [hopefully] attending holiday parties and watching our favorite holiday movies with the family. In my house, there is an annual tradition after Thanksgiving to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This classic comedy contains […]
What Contributes to a Civil & Respectful Workplace? Why is Doing all you can to Achieve Civility Important?
In the past several years we have seen a number of important societal changes that have increased awareness of offensiveness and incivility in the workplace. From the #MeToo movement’s focus on sexual harassment and assault in the workplace to increased attention on marginalized race and ethnic groups via horrifying interactions between minorities and the police, […]
Workplace Harassment in the Age of Remote Work
The past year has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging in history for employers. Between attempting to keep workforces employed, to balancing the books, to keeping customers and clients safe and healthy, businesses of all sizes have faced one challenge after another. When remote work became near universal in many industries, some employers began […]
Evolving Issues in Workplace Harassment: Where do We Go from Here?
The prevention of workplace harassment has evolved in recent years from liability avoidance to cultural improvement and incident prevention. In order to facilitate cultural change, it is necessary to offer the workforce an education program that goes far beyond what is required for legal compliance. The issue of harassment has evolved from the pure legal […]
Bostock Anniversary: EEOC Issues Guidance on Protections for LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Workforce
On June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court ruled that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (and gender identity) is discrimination “on the basis of sex,” and is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Over one year later, the agency charged with enforcing issues of discrimination in the […]
New Study Quantifies Offensive Incidents Directed Asian-American Individuals
There were more than 6,600 incidents of hate and discrimination directed at Asian-American individuals and individuals of Pacific Islander descent in the last year. The rise in incidents is attributable to false blame for the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers would be wise to re-examine their policies to ensure there is zero-tolerance for hateful behavior directed at […]
#MeToo Defenses Reveal All Too Familiar Themes
As of July 1, 2021, New York City fast food employees cannot terminate their employees without “just cause” or “bona fide economic reasons.”